Yours, Mine Ours
by D'artEtoile
Summary: AU: Unfortunately for the wizarding world, their savior is not the heroine. Sorted into Slytherin, friends with a child from a dark family, having cousins who plots for world domination and seemingly all knowing is just the tip of the iceberg! Danger may be lurking everywhere but Harriet still got some trick up in her sleeves. Question is, will it be enough?
1. Prologue

**_Prologue _**

Harry James Potter couldn't quite believe his eyes. It had just been seconds ago when he was dueling against Voldemort himself before he was blinded by a searing white light. There is no more screaming, no more spells being fired off left and right and certainly the spot where the Dark Lord was previously standing on was empty. He stares, blinks once then twice before looking wildly around him.

The grass was lush and green with floras bursting everywhere. There were tall trees to his left covered in moss and vines binding all over its trunks and branches. Unknown flowers of different shapes and sizes were all around the ground, the trees and even the vines. There was a sweet smell wafting in the air and Harry even finds himself taking a few deep breaths. To his right was a large crystal clear lake that seemed to stretched on for as far as he could see.

Standing under the overly large willow tree, Harry wasn't sure where he was. With his hands instinctively reaching for his wand, The-Boy-Who-Lived readied himself for any incoming attack.

"You know, this is the part where you're supposed to go 'Hello? Anybody there?'"

On instincts, Harry whirled himself around and pointed his wand at the direction of the voice. The end of his wand met with air and the same voice seemed to echoed behind him.

"Quick. But not quick enough." Chimed a voice before something heavy tackled to his side. Harry was well aware of tumbling down with another body and while he himself was too confused and surprised by being caught off guard, the same couldn't be said for the other person if her (yes, her) rambunctious laughter was anything to go by. If anything, she seemed like she was having fun.

Grunting when the two finally rolled to a stop, Harry suddenly finds himself straddled by the girl. Panting slightly and a bit disorientated from the tumble, the boy looked up to identify the face of his attacker. Long black locks seem to act as a curtain while a pair of equally dark eyes grinned at him from above. The girl rolls away from him and pushes herself up from one knee.

Harry is still trying to steady himself when a hand came into his view. "Sorry about that." But she doesn't sound sorry at all and dark haired girl then gave him a wink which for some reason,made the tips of his ears burn in embarrassment. Harry could detect a slight accent underneath her tone; he couldn't quite put his finger on it but if he had to guess it was probably because English wasn't her first language.

He eyed the girl and then her hand before cautiously taking up the offer. Her grip was strong but not crushing; she had easily pulled him up with no difficulty and Harry wonders whether it was by magic or her own strength. The girl's presence wasn't turning on the warning bells in his mind but Harry knew he'd be an idiot to get his guard she was patting away dirt from her clothes, Harry took the liberty of doing the same while eyeing her from the corner of his eyes.

She had a wild mane of dark hair with waves and curls at the bottom; reminding him of his own –untamable- hair. There were several blades of grass stuck in her tresses but she seemed to either not care or didn't know since she made no attempt on removing them.

Her nose was slightly flat with full lips that continued to either smile or grin. The girl had a bit of a tan and was considerably shorter than Harry himself, just reaching his chin. She looked somewhere around his age or younger by a year or two.

Wearing a black button up, pink pleated skirt and barefoot, Harry was somewhat glad that at the very least the girl seemed to be wearing muggle clothing. "Here, your wand. You might need it to fix your glasses." She hands him back his holly wand and Harry has to repress the sudden urge to pinch himself and wonder if this was real or not.

"Right, thanks." He mumbled. After mending his glasses,Harry took a final sweep around with his eyes before looking back at the girl.

With her hand still held out, she beamed at the Potter heir. "My name's Eltri." She supplied and Harry goes and shakes her hand as well while introducing himself. Her hands were of course smaller than his but he was surprised at the calluses on her hand.

When his palm touches hers, Harry could immediately feel a steady pulse of magic underneath her skin. And his magic seemed to reach out tentatively towards this new source. Almost immediately he felt as if his whole body was enveloped by a sense of warmth and the aftertaste of something sweet in his mouth. The taste was somewhat familiar with those treacle tarts that Harry was so fond off.

He isn't quite sure why but Eltri seemed to have smiled even wider than before.

"Harry," He says in a daze. "Harry Potter."

Harry would have been lying if he had said that the girl wasn't pretty. No, not the kind with soft skin, beautiful and soft looking tresses and what not but there was… something about the girl. "Another person will be joining us, but it might take a while so why don't I fill you in for a bit?"

She walks back to the willow and motions for Harry to follow. He takes a seat on the grass in front of her after politely declining to sit next to her. It didn't seem to bother her and quickly went straight to the point.

"Anything you would like to ask in particular?" She crosses her legs and leans back against the trunk. Harry isn't quite sure what he would like to know. Was he dead? Did he fail at fighting against Voldemort? What happened? Why was he here?

As if understanding his distress, Eltri hummed and placed her hands on top of her knees. "If it helps, you aren't dead and this isn't the afterlife."

Harry releases a sigh he didn't know he was holding. "Then, where am I? Can I go back?"

Eltri hums and taps her kneecaps with a forefinger in a steady rhythm. "Hm, you're in my room. And no, you can't go back just yet. We have something to tell you first. Don't worry, we're not exactly in the same plane so time flows differently between here and from where you are."

The lost look on Harry's face caused the dark haired girl to laugh before continuing in detail. "I know my room is too big to be called a room but that's not what you should dwell on. Since the story's quite long, I'll try to give you the gist of everything yes?"

"Right now we're not exactly in your world. And before I start on anything I have to confess that I was the one who summoned you. This isn't England, this isn't the year 1998. You, Harry Potter have just traveled through time and space into another dimension. There are many universes just as there are as many stars in the sky and sand on the ground. And they are as different as any humans. No two worlds are the same and they all exist at a different dimension with a different flow of time.

My siblings and I… let's just say that we are avatars of power who manage them. Managing them also includes in making sure that everyone abides the laws of the universe and deal out punishment and such to those who don' with me so far?"

Harry nods-even though he doesn't- and furrowed his brows together. "But what does this have to do with me?"

"The fact that you didn't die when you were supposed to has caused problems in a parallel universe… On multiple occasions."

Harry felt his head spin.

"Wha-

Eltri pursed her lips to the side and raised a brow. "For every death you escaped, the same parallel world paid for it. For every death you escaped, the friends and families of the other Harry Potter takes that place. This is pretty much an everyday occurrence for us but what puzzles us is- well, the fact while the Light in your world grows stronger, so does the Darkness in that parallel world. And then we realized something."

"Fact is," Eltri continued, her eyes seemingly keeping the boy in place as his jaw continued to hang limply, "for some reason your world has been taking energy from that particular parallel world. If left untreated, that world will be destroyed. The question is how did the two worlds managed to be linked?"

Harry swallowed, finally able to find his voice. "And you think that I know?" His voice was low and Harry is quite sure that he's not getting any of this at all.

"No. That's not the reason why you're here."

Another figure stepped in. He was tanned, tall and well built, with his clothes –muggle clothing as well- lightly hugging his frame. The male looked no less older than Harry with short spiky dark brown hair that seem to reflect back as black under the sunlight and narrowed brown eyes. He was handsome in a rugged sort of way.

The teenager nods at Harry before taking a seat next to the nudged the boy at the ribs with her elbows. With a raised brow she says, "You're late. Aren't you even going to introduce yourself?"

"Why?" He furrowed his brows and scrunched his face as if genuinely confused and Eltri rolled her eyes. "Because he doesn't know who you are moron." Turning her attention back to Harry she shrugged. "Sorry about his manners but it's not like he actually needs them. Harry this is Death. Well if he takes on human form of course." She adds the last part almost like an afterthought. Death narrowed his eyes at Eltri and cuffed the side of her head.

"Y-you're Death?" Harry spluttered. He didn't remember seeing Death like this and he didn't know what to expect hearing the sound of Death's voice. The boy, teen or entity- had spoken in a gruff voice that Harry was sure would have sent at least half of the female population in Hogwarts to go into a frenzy.

"I suppose I go by that name too." Death waved his hand and leaned lazily against the tree, ignoring the glare that Eltri shot him. "But back to the topic. I'm just going to tell you the plan straight anyway."Eltri made to move but Death quickly covered her mouth with his hand and pulled her close in a pseudo side hug."We're going to send you to that parallel world and you're going to help us find the answer from the inside while we try to stabilize them."

Eltri squirmed and swatted his hand but finally gave up with a role of her eyes. Harry could imagine her huff as she folded her hands over her chest.

"Stabilize?" Harry parroted.

Death nods and suddenly his expression froze. He turns his head and peered down from his nose at the girl who seemed to be looking away. "That's gross you idiot." And cuffs the girl at the side of her head again.

There is a muffled sound and Harry could only guess that Eltri was laughing from the shake of her shoulders.

"Anyway, yes, stabilize. Eltri said that your world is taking energy from the parallel right? First off, we need to find the source of the leak and that might as well be the hardest part. I'll explain a bit more on that later but for now let's move on. After we find the leak it falls into us to cut the link and finally find a way to stabilize your world."

Eltri was finally able to remove the boy's hand away from her mouth with rough shove. Death scowled and wiped his hand on her sleeve shoulder which she promptly ignored. "The thing about the leak is that it can be anywhere, it can be anything and hell it can and might be more than one!"

Harry licked his lips. "And how am I supposed to help the other me?"

"Besides trying to find the leak-" Answered Death,

Faster than he could have blinked, Eltri lunged and was kneeling up close to the dark haired boy. Black dots begin to invade his vision and as Harry slumped against the girl, he notices that the sword she was holding is the same one that's embedded in his chest.

"try and make sure she doesn't die." Eltri finished.

There was no pain, no nothing.

And then his world went Black.


	2. Chapter 1

"Erm, where are we going exactly Hagrid?"

Today is Henrietta Lily Potter's eleventh birthday and it was the best –and only- birthdaythat she ever had. A few hours earlier, Reubus Hagrid had just entered the Dursley's house. Though with his half-giant frame, it was more like he went _through _the door and blew everyone off of their hinges –including the door itself. The man had swept Harriet –"Sorry bouttha' but why not I call yah 'arriet instead?"- into a tearful bone-crushing hug before shoving a birthday cake in her face.

When uncle Vernon had finally got rid of his initial shock and started shouting at Hagrid for blowing up his door and bringing such 'freakishness' into his house, Hagrid had leveled them with a glare and sniffed. Ignoring the purple-faced uncle Vernon, scowling Petunia and cowering Dudley, Hagrid bent down to Harriet's level and placed far too large hands on top of her shoulders.

On Harriet's eleventh birthday, she is told by the strange man who had burst through the door half-way through dinner preparations that she is a witch. Just like her tells her that magic is normal, that magic is a gift and, and- And Harriet was part of that magic. And then it all seemed to make sense.

Magic.

It was magic that turned her teacher's hair blue when she made Harriet upset, magic that landed her on top of a roof when Dudley and his gang had went Harriet hunting and Harriet herself had wished to be anywhere but there, that made her hair grow back overnight after aunt Petunia had tried to cut it short.

When aunt Petunia screamed that they were good-for-nothing drunkards that had deserved to die in the car crash, Hagrid went outraged. He was booming and yelling at the Dursleys but Harriet couldn't quite grasp what the half-giant was saying. Her eyes darted down to her hands which were clasped to the front and twisting the material

All that she knew was after the end of all that screaming and yelling, Hagrid had dragged her out of the house and deposited her at the passenger seat of his motorcycle. Her mind is spinning and there were conflicting emotions. But over the roar of the engine, the sound of rushing wind as the motorcycle flew into the air, Hagrid tells her,

"Don't believe'em 'arriet. Your parents were good people. And they luv ya very, very much."

Here was a man who had shown more care to her than the Dursley's have ever did in Harriet's entire eleven years with them. Who seem to know, to like and care about Harriet and her parents. The chaotic swirl of emotions and thoughts melted away into a warm fuzzy feeling in her chest.

There were still lots of questions going inside her mind, many of them were the same ones that Harriet repressed in order to follow the rule of '_No asking questions_' and avoiding the cane. But at the very least, Harriet knows that her parents did love her.

That was an hour earlier. Flying through the dark London sky was probably the best stress-reliever there is. She liked the feeling of wind whistling against her hair and the wind sweeping through her hair. There was a thrill that made her heart beat a mile a minute and tingle on the back of her spine. Harriet peers over the edge of her seat and felt her breath hitched at her throat.

For Harriet who has never even seen actual stars; seeing the bright, blinking and glowing dots beneath her was felt like she was on top of the world and continued to feel that way till they finally landed.

"That was wicked!"

Hagrid laughs and good-naturedly ruffled her hair. Though it probably made her hair look more like lost cause, it didn't stop the warm feeling that bloomed in her chest. Harriet decided that she rather like having her hair ruffled.

"Come along now 'arriet. You need to go an' meet up with the others."

At Harriet's confused expression, the half giant hurried on to explain. "To be honest 'ere I wasn't supposed ta be the one introducing to the magical world. But P'fessor Dumbledore, knows just how much I want ta see ya so he permitted me to at least bring ya to Diagon Alley."

During the ride to wherever they are, Hagrid had given Harriet a brief explanation of the magical world. Including the shocking fact of how famous Harriet actually is. And while everything else seems easy to accept, Harriet couldn't help but feel skeptical about that one.

Harriet felt her face flush. "Oh, w-well I thought that, I thought you would be the one to give me the tour…" Harriet's voice begin to grow significantly smaller till Hagrid nearly had to bent over to catch her words.

Hagrid chuckled and patted Harriet on the shoulder. "Dun worry 'arriet, you'll be-"

There was a loud distinctive crack and everything went by a blur when something hard and painful collided with Harriet. Whatever it was grunted and fell onto her in a tangle of limbs. Harriet felt her head spun as it collided with the pavement. Something warm and clammy has been shoved to her face and Harriet finds herself struggling to breath.

The load on top of her let out a sharp hiss and a few seconds later the load was gone.

Harriet groaned and she realizes that she can't quite feel her left arm. Still, she pushes herself to her feet and looked back at the new comers. The taller of the two was a dark haired teen with an untidy jet-black hair and bright green eyes beneath round-rimmed glasses. With a heart shaped face and high-arc eyebrows. He was tall and had a light complexion, wearing a two set of black and blue tones of robes. He looked amused and there was a hint of a smile on his lips as he spoke to the other boy in slow and hushed tone.

The younger and smaller of the two had an even lighter complexion with semi-curly haired and mercury colored eyes. He has a round face still with baby fat but with thin lips and high cheekbones. He was even wearing something similar to the older boy albeit in black and dark green. For such a pretty looking boy, the scowl on his face didn't seem to suit him.

When the older of the two looked up, he blinked in surprise when he caught Harriet starting at him. However, much to Harriet's own surprise, the older teen smiled and winked. Letting out a slight squeak, Harriet flushed and ducked her head in embarrassment.

When she raised her head again, the duo was now standing much closer and the older boy was shaking Hagrid by the hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, we apologize for keeping waiting. My cousin here was a bit reluctant about Apparating and we got into a bit of a scuffle before."

There was a small grin on his face which seemed to cause his brother to scowl even further. Looking up at her guide, Harriet found that the half-giant was staring at the teen with his eyes wide and mouth hung open.

"James? James is tha' you James?"

The older teen blinked in surprise while the younger boy finally stopped frowning. Hagrid's head craned between Harriet, the older boy, the younger one and then back at Harriet again.

"I- I dun understan' you- you're-"

"That's not his name!" Snapped the younger boy. Harriet frowned, "That's not very nice, there's no need to snap at him." She said calmly. Well, as calmly as she could. She knew that if she raised her voice the boy would react just as hotly. Harriet didn't want to fight nor argue, she had enough of that back at home already and the results of it usually left Harriet hurt and tired.

His eyes were on Harriet that instant and Harriet has the distinctive feeling that the boy was looking for something. Harriet felt something tugging at her person, not on the outside though- like, like… like when you know if you forgotten something but didn't exactly remember what it was. It was a sensation Harriet had never felt before.

There was another tugging, this time a bit harder and her head hurts. Harriet shrank her shoulders and whimpered, clenching her eyes shut.

"That's enough Tom."

The tugging stopped and this time Harriet felt like she was wrapped in something smooth and warm. It felt nice. Nicer than when Hagrid hag hugged and patted her head. The feeling made her chest warm and fuzzy and it made Harriet felt safe. Harriet liked it.

Blinking her eyes open, she saw that the older boy was frowning at the boy, Tom as he was called. He hissed softly under his breath and the boy looked away. Hagrid for all he seemed, was more focused on the teen and was now staring blatantly at him with jaws moving and no actual words coming out.

"I apologize Mr. Hagrid-

"Hagrid's jus' fine." Said half-giant says in a daze.

"Right, I apologizeHagrid but you seem to have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Harry, Harry Peverell and this is my cousin Tom Riddle."

"But, but you look- you look like 'arriet here!" Cried Hagrid.

Tom tenses, Harriet flushed while Harry gave a somewhat sad smile but forced himself to be polite. "There is a chance that we might… be related yes, but I assure you that I am not who you think I am. Oh that reminds me, didn't the letter say that you've had some business to attend to?"

Hagrid could only nod dumbly, mumbled a faint goodbye to Harriet before walking back to where he parked his motorcycle. Harriet turned to look at the half-giant's retreating back and is suddenly keenly aware that she had been left alone to strangers she had just met a few minutes ago.

And Harriet has never felt more self-conscious than now.

Turning her attention back to the two, Harriet felt her face flush when she realized that she was being stared by both boys.

"**_What's your name?"_**asked Tom.

"Harriet. Erm, Henrietta Potter but you can call me Harriet..."

To Harriet's utter shock, Tom narrowed his eyes –and Harriet squared herself for some snappish comment- and _nodded_. Harry on the other hand looked at her with a tilted head before smiling slightly. "Well, isn't that something. Looks like we are related after all."

Harriet couldn't help it. She felt the previous fuzzy feeling in her chest explode. Large emerald jewels glittered with hope and Harriet wouldn't even care if she cried there and then.

Tom blinked back in surprise when he felt a surge of magic brushing against his own. It felt like Harry's. Not only that this girl had looked like Harry and him (Tom admitted grudgingly), but her magic felt like Harry's. Not completely but if Tom hadn't recognized his cousin's own magical signature, he might have mistaken it for Harry's.

It was a year ago that Tom had first met Harry. Tom was surprised, suspicious and curious when Ms. Cole had told him that he was going to get adopted.

"By whom?" He asked the women while she lead him to the room where potential parents get to talk with the kid that they wanted. There might be a time when Tom had hoped someone would come for him but that had been a long time ago. He's ten and he can take care of himself just fine. He was more than content to amuse himself with his newfound… _talents_.

The first time Tom saw Harry, he was not impressed. Harry did not look that much older than Tom and the boy wonders why a teenager would want to adopt him. Wouldn't he want the younger children? Was this some sort of joke?

With more than enough skepticism, Tom ended up being adopted by Harry IgnotusPeverell and had his very first experience with '_Apparating_' to his new home. Till this very day, Tom would deny it to his grave if someone asked whether or not he vomited.

He did not. Period.

Tom thought he could charm Harry and make him do whatever he wanted but he was wrong. Harry was never charmed. It was like he knew what Tom was thinking, knew what he wanted, knew what he was going to do. The dark haired teen was stern, awkward but honest.

Despite letting Tom do whatever he pleases most of the day –which is actually just being holed up in the manor's library and reading whatever Tom could get his grabby hands on-, Harry would let him know if one of Tom's actions or behavior had made him upset or displeased. Sometimes he gets stuck on the ceiling and could only get down during meal times, sometimes he can't get to the library –this was by far the worse punishment- and sometimes Tom would get dragged outside and be forced to help taking care of the gardens.

At first, that's what Tom did. Purposely upsetting the older boy and giving him more and more trouble. For half a year Tom threw tantrums, broke glass and teapots, overturned tables and even shoved Harry away with his magic. He wanted to show Harry that he can't be controlled. He wanted to show Harry that he was fine by himself.

He didn't need pity.

He didn't need Harry.

He's fine just by himself.

And then one day, Harry got up and left without telling him.

And Tom was glad. Glad, glad, glad. Days went by as he continued to gloat over his victory. That even he could triumph over an adult. Then days turned into weeks and eventually weeks turned into a whole month. Tom's triumph soon morphed into full fledge panic and anger.

Was this it? Did Harry just gave up? How could he leave a child for a month? Was he being abandoned again? Did he finally decided, realize, that taking on a child while he was just a teen himself too much of a burden? There was no house-elf he could call on but at least Harry had thought him how to cook and the shelf had been stocked to the brim. And the house somehow magically cleans itself no matter how much of a mess Tom had made.

At least he wasn't going to starve to death.

But still, Tom couldn't shake off the feeling of being betrayed. Wasn't Harry supposed to be the grown up? Wasn't he supposed to be the patient one? Everyday, Tom screamed, shouted and blasted holes in the walls and the blasted house would repair itself the next day no matter how badly damaged it was. If it weren't for his situation, Tom would have been curious about the magic that was used.

But all Tom could felt was anger, hurt and betrayal. He couldn't exactly felt anything else.

It had just been a few days after a month that Harry had left when Tom had woke up to the smell of bacon. Mercurial eyes snapped opens and he launches himself straight to the kitchen. There had been yelling, screaming and lots of things flying about before Tom finds himself being hugged by Harry.

He flinches, screams and claw away at Harry but Harry doesn't let go. Tom doesn't care if he looks like some wild animal. He doesn't. All he cares right now is getting Harry to tell him why he left.

Back at the orphanage, Tom had scoffed at all the children that wanted to be coddled. That is for the weak, but now that he was experiencing it himself, Tom could understand its appeal. The two had slid down to the ground, with Tom practically lying on his lap, when Harry started rocking back and forth. He's rubbing soothing circles on Tom's back and the boy had a fight with his own instincts before he slumps into the hug.

"Sorry," Harry mumbles into his hair. And that's all he heard before sleep takes over.

When he woke up, Tom found he was back on his bed and Harry, slumped against a chair and snoring lightly. Tom makes Harry tell him everything and what he found surprised him.

Harry had been an orphan too and he had thought that he hadn't had any relatives left but found out about Tom. They were cousins, distantly related but still they were family. He had just turned legal a few days before he adopted Tom and Tom isn't an idiot so he knows that even if he had wanted Harry to adopt him faster, he couldn't.

Harry tells him that he might be an awful parental figure or maybe even a bad role model since he doesn't really have one himself but he's willing to try. And before Tom could accuse him of child abandonment, Harry presents him a locket from his pockets.

"Your family's heirloom. Thought you might want something that belonged to your family. Sorry it took me so long to find it."

Tom traces the engravings of his locket. As satisfied as he was, he knew that a transaction works both ways. Harry had given him something and he was probably expecting Tom to give something back. That's how the world is anyway.

"And what do you want in return?"

"Pardon?"

"You gave me something so you want something in return right?"

Harry frowned, sighing tiredly and running a hand through his wild hair. "I suppose expecting an instant change was a bit too much." He mumbles.

"Excuse me?"

Harry shook his head. "No, nothing. Fine then, if that's how you look at it then yes. I do have something that I want you to do."

Tom narrowed his eyes, "First, I want you to be honest with me Tom. No more games, if you want something then tell me. If you have something in your mind then tell me. Don't beat around the bush. I know that's what you've been doing for the past six months. I am not blind and I'll tell you now that it's not going to work on me. I will only acknowledge you if you are honest and if you aren't then I will ignore you.

Two, what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine unless you explicitly tell me and vice versa. It is stupid that you're stealing your own stuff so do stop. To be honest it is a dumb trophy and there are actually better things that could be considered as one instead of stolen goods.

And three, we're family. I am not asking you to love me or anything but at least trust me to make some decisions for you. That's all I'm asking."

Tom stared at him for a moment. Eyes unreadable. Then after a few moments, he spoke quietly.

"I can talk to snakes too. They find me, they whisper to me things."

Emerald colored jewels glittered and much to Tom's great surprise, Harry's answer sounded just like the snakes.

"**_I know. After all, families share the same trait don't they?_**"

Families share the same trait.

Yes, Tom could see that. Harry was strong; he could do whatever Tom can but with more control and both hadn't used a wand. Harry had told him that while wands are needed to perform magic by both witches and wizards alike, neither had used them.

Tom could float and move things just fine and Harry could just snap his fingers and anything broken would be back to normal. Tom sees no point in getting himself a wand while Harry had helped him train to control his wandless magic, his cousin had insisted that getting one might actually help him gain more control.

Tom glances back at the girl, Harriet. She was almost the spitting image of his cousin what with their bright green eyes and all.

If Harry says that this girl is family then fine. Tom could accept that. She'll be included when they celebrate the day that Tom had finally ruled over all of Magical Britain.


	3. Chapter 2

To get to Diagon Alley, you must first go through the Leaky Cauldron. It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub located smack dab in the middle of a bustling street. Harry, standing in between Tom and Harriet, led the two of them inside. Harriet shuffled closer to Harry once they entered while Tom kept his gaze straight. For a famous pub, it was rather dark and shabby.

Several of the occupants looked up and watched the trio before going back to whatever they were doing except for one. A man wearing a purple turban watched them with silent curiosity from the side and it wasn't missed by the teenager. Harry pulls the girl closer to him and when they were finally standing in front of the bartender, Harriet was half hidden by Harry's coat.

"Hello, what can I get ya laddie?"

"We would like to get to Diagon Alley thank you." Harry replied smoothly.

Once they arrived, the first place Harry took them was Gringotts. It was the tallest building by far compared to the rest of the other shops that seemed to be fashioned out of white stones. As they walked into the burnished bronze doors, both boys nodded curtly at the goblin. Harriet hurried to copy the movement and flushed when the goblin bowed in return.

They then faced another set of doors, silver this time with words engraved upon them:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there_

"Only a fool would try to steal from Gringotts." Tom sniffed and Harriet silently agreed if not for the ominous warning engraved for all to see. Another pair of goblins bowed as they past and they were in a vast marble hall. Numerous goblins, sitting on high stools behind a long counter were busy with scribbling in ledgers, weighing coins or examining glittering stones and jewelries.

Harry left the two of them almost immediately with a goblin, barely able to finish telling them to stay put before the goblin pushed him inside a room and slammed the door shut.

Tom turned on his heels before motioning Harriet to follow him to a nearby pillar. "Why didn't your parents come with you here?"

His voice was surprisingly cool and his expression was best described as neutral. His shoulders weren't tense and his eyes held a curiously glint to them. Harriet was quite surprised by how much he had mellowed after their initial meeting. Tom had even apologized –though he it was more of a quiet hiss than anything- for running her over after Hagrid left and while Harry nodded and squeezed Tom on the shoulder, Harriet could only flush and nodded feeling a little bit awkward.

The question doesn't sting. Because Harriet didn't know them that well and the Dursley's complain about them far more than she could care to remember.

"They were bastard drunkards and they deserved what they got!" Uncle Vernon had shouted once when Harriet had pestered her relative about her parents. There was a loud 'SLAP!' and for the next few days Harriet could barely open her right jaw and it had turned into an angry looking bruise for a very long time.

It hurts. So she doesn't ask questions about them anymore after one too many bruises on her face.

"They're dead." Harriet says blankly and Tom didn't even bat an eye.

"You're an orphan?" He presses and Harriet nods. "Do you live in an orphanage?"

"No." She fiddles with the loose threads of her over-sized gray sweater. Tom eyes them with polite indifference but was mentally repulsed by the state of her apparel. He waits for her to continue; mercury eyes watching the girl in front of him tug the ends of her sleeves. It was a nervous habit and Tom makes a mental note to banish this ridiculous habit of hers as soon as possible. She wasn't even looking at him in the eye for Merlin's sake!

It wouldn't do his image any good to his future followers if his own family member doesn't even look capable.

"I live with my other relatives. My mother's sister has a family of her own."

"So why aren't they here?"

Harriet finally looks at him in the eye and though it was brief, but Tom manages to catch an expression that Harry sometimes wears when he's off thinking deeply about something.

Resignation.

"They don't like ma-" Harrietflinches and quickly corrects herself. "They don't like… people like us. Their muggles." She says in a quiet tone and Tom's eyes narrowed dangerously into slits.

"**_Why_**?" Harriet tugs on her sleeves again. "They say we're… They called us some not so nice things. They don't want me using any ma-" Another flinch and Tom felt his patience burning faster than melted butter. "Erm, I mean, they don't want me doing anything strange in the house or around them. They would punish me if they think I'm doing anything strange. It's no big deal really." She finishes lamely.

Tom doesn't know whether he had ever been this angry. Harriet peers up from her bangs and watches her cousin glare angrily at the marble floor. After a few seconds, she opens her mouth to call him out but stops when Tom snaps his head up and meet her gaze. His mercury colored eyes was flashing too many emotions for Harriet to identify.

"They punish you if you do magic?" Tom demanded. His whole body shook was nearly shaking. He clamps his hands into fists and presses them close to his side. His magic is boiling threatening to spill and while Tom prides himself in having a great control of his magic, he doesn't really care about it right now.

Harriet could feel it too. His magic is blanketing him and unlike last time, it wasn't doing anything to her. Like light jolts of electricity across her arms, she felt her limbs prickle at the sensation.

"Erm… Yes?" She answers hesitantly, hoping that honesty would appease him but unfortunately it was the wrong answer. The prickling sensation got stronger and in response, Harriet unconsciously pulled out her own magic.

"Tom?" She calls out tentatively and reaches out for his hand. Seconds before she makes contact, she changes her mind and pulls on his sleeves instead.

The boy blinks twice before he turns his head to face her. "Do they hurt you?" He asks in a chillingly quiet voice that made the hair behind Harriet's neck stand.

Harriet stutters and it's all the answer he needs. Silently he reins his magic and his eyes slid over to the door that Harry had disappeared to. Harriet shrinks into herself and sorted back to playing with the loose threads of her sweater.

"You should hurt them back." Tom says after a while. He stuffs his hands into the pockets of his coat and Harriet notes that his voice just as blank as his expression; and this time his shoulders were tense. Harriet feels her stomach drop and unconsciously takes a step back. Tom sees this but misinterprets the sign.

"I- I don't think that's very nice…" She mumbles, eyes casting downwards.

"Yes, and I suppose adults beating up the children they're supposed to take care of _is_." Tom drawls, mercury eyes flitting over to Harriet to gauge her reaction.

Tom rakes his eyes over the mousy girl's appearance and finds everything appalling. Too small, too thin with clothes far too large and looked as if they had seen better days. When Tom had accidentally (he vows it's the last mistake he's ever going to make) run her over, her elbows had jabbed him across the ribs. She was all skin and bones and his ribs were still sore from before.

He thought that it would be the end of their discussions but he was wrong. "How is living with Harry?"

'She's still trying to make a conversation with me' He thought, but whether to avoid the awkward silence that would come if they didn't or if she was trying to change the subject Tom isn't quite sure.

He doesn't reply right away and when he opens his mouth its Harry's voice that comes out. "There you are." Harry steps in besides Tom. Both children looked up at the light scowl on the teenager's face and frowned.

Harry looks behind his shoulders and Harriet blinked, startled when his attention was suddenly focused on her.

Tom is visibly surprised when Harry knelt down and spoke in Parseltongue.

"**Harriet, listen to me." **

Tom's eyes slid over to the goblins and the other patrons of the bank. Harry wasn't speaking in low hisses like they should when in public which meant that he had thrown in a silencing ward.

**"Someone had stolen somethings from your trust funds."**

Harriet stiffened in surprise, "I have a trust fund?"

Harry nods then continued. **"Yes, your parents they left you some money before their passing. There's enough for you to pay for your school and buy supplies and such and even some extras. Harriet I want you to listen, you too Tom." **Harry nods his head to his younger cousin.

Well this must be important if Harry was blatantly speaking in Parseltongue out in the open. **"Whoever it is will… Try and win favors from you by giving said items as presents." **

Both boys watched Harriet's reaction. It was easy really, with her all wide green doe eyes that reflects whatever the owner was thinking or feeling. It's anger, betrayal, sadness, shock and longing all flashing behind emerald hues that seemed to burn with fire. It was rather pretty. They looked like they glittered like jewels and Tom had the sudden urge to pluck them out and keep them in a glass jar.

"Why… Why did they steal from me?" The glittering jewels disappeared behind a curtain of messy dark hair as Harriet hung her head down. Her voice is quiet and Tom strains to hear any anger or malice in them but there isn't. There's nothing that showed she is angry and silently Tom is glad that despite looking like a lost cause, at least Harriet was able to reign in her emotions.

Harry sighs and runs a hand through his hair. **"I don't know Harriet," **Harriet nods but she doesn't lift up her head. **"Harriet, look at me-"**She doesn't and instead plays with the threads of her sleeves. The three of them are silent for a moment before Harry sighs again and stood up, motioning for them to follow him before dismissing the ward.

No one spoke as they rode the cart. Down, down they went. Over, under, left and right. Wind is rushing past their forms and blood is roaring inside their ears and still no one spoke. Tom wonders how Harry had gotten Harriet's key when she had just recently been introduced to the magical world. Clearly his cousin didn't hold the key herself so he must have gotten it from someone. Mercury eyes narrowed slightly. Someone knew that Harriet would be coming to Gringotts and had handed the key over to Harry.

.

It wasn't the big oaf from before surely. Why would they have Harriet's key? A guardian? If she had one, a guardian that is, then why isn't she staying with them instead of- instead of those muggles! Where was that guardian and why didn't they take her? Tom waits and mulls his thoughts over and over while his cousins went inside Harriet's vault. The more he thinks, the more questions formed.

Neither of them spoke till they were out of the bank and Harry, handing Harriet her key. She shook her head. "Keep it. You'll hold it for me won't you?" Harry regards her with a silent look and Harriet stared back with flashing eyes –hope- that glittered with gratitude when Harry slips the key inside his pockets. Really, they were pretty. Very pretty indeed. Tom wonders if it will look just as pretty inside a glass jar.

They went shopping for her things along with Tom's and Harriet's mood had steadily improved. She was easily distracted and easily awed by the things she sees. They have shopped for everything saves for their wands and now Harriet was practically brimming with excitement. Tom scoffs at her expression but secretly he was excited as well. Just a little bit mind you.

The shop was narrow and shabby with peeling gold letters over the door of the shop read: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B. display consisted of a solitary wand lying on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. The inside of it was tiny that was much given, empty except for a single, spindly chair in the corner. Thousands of narrow boxes containing wands were piled right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of Harriet's neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

"Hello there."

Both Tom and Harriet sneezed and Harry chuckles at his cousins' reaction of the sudden greeting. "Hello Ollivander."

"Ah, the ever so elusive Mr. Peverell. Really, it's a shame that you did not get your wand here at Ollivanders but alas, the past is the past. And who might your charges be?" The owner of the voice finally appeared. An old man, with wide pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

Tom glared at the old man for catching him off guard while Harriet blinked in surprise.

"My cousins." Harry supplied, with a hand on both of their shoulders.

"Ah, yes." Said the man. "I thought I'd be seeing both of you soon." It wasn't a question. The shop owner had opened his mouth to say something but Harry beat him to it. "They are quite excited for their wands, Ollivander. I don't think we should keep them waiting." Harry's tone was pleasant but his grip on the children tightened in the slightest when Ollivander was blatantly staring at Harriet. Or more specifically, her forehead covered fringe.

"Hm, yes I suppose. Well now- Mr. Riddle would you like to go first?" He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

Tom steps forward and offers his left hand. Harriet went to sit on the chair while Harry stood next to her. Harriet giggled under her breath as she watches Ollivander measure her cousin. As he worked, the wand maker said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

It takes several seconds later for both children to realize that tape measure was taking measurements on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes. "That will do," he said and the tape measure crumpled into a head on the floor.

For the first several wands that Tom tried, before he could even flick the medium, Ollivander had quickly snatched it away muttering, "No, no, no!" under his breath. Then he made the inside of the store rain, burnt a side of Ollivanders hair and caused the chair Harriet was sitting to collapse. Luckily Harry had repaired all of the damage on his own and managed to catch Harriet before she ended up sprawled on the floor.

Tom was getting impatient and embarrassed –does this happen to everyone? He wondered- while Ollivander was clearly getting excited. In the end though, Tom found his wand. "Yew, phoenix feather, thirteen ahead." The moment he touched it, a green ribbon shot out and with a quick flick of his wrist, the ribbon flowed and rippled all over the room. From where he stood, he heard Harriet clap excitedly and Harry's soft praise.

"Well done."

There. The approval he was waiting for. He tunes out whatever the wand maker was saying –nonsense probably- and gives an absentminded, but still polite mind you, answer as he pays for his wand. When it was Harriet's turn, it took her longer if not just as long, to find her wand. Like Tom, not even a second after touching the wand, it would be snatched away. This time the store was nearly flooded, everyone had to duck to avoid flying boxes and Harry's hair had turned bright pink much to Tom's horror and Harry's amusement. And again, Harry took care of it.

"Oh? Another tough customer? This, this must really be my day! I wonder, now –yes, why not –unusual combination –holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Harriet eyed the outstretched wand and looked back. Harry had a small smile on his face while Tom merely blinked and gave a curt nod. Harriet smiled back and slowly took the wand. Warmth travelled across her fingers and Harriet knew this was her wand. Bringing it down with a swish, red and gold sparks burst out of the tip of her wand like fireworks.

Harry narrowed his eyes and glanced briefly at Tom's packaged wand before looking back to Harriet.

Both Harriet and Ollivander looked positively delighted. Harry moved to Harriet with Tom following next to him. As Harriet was paying for her wand, Ollivander spoke. "Brother wands, I sold brother wands today. A very memorable occasion in my life indeed."

"Brother wands?" Harriet echoed while Tom instantly looked at Harry for an explanation. He does not disappoint. "It means that the wand came from the same core. Both of your wands have phoenix tails as a core, and they came from the same phoenix."

Harriet beams at Tom and Tom feels somewhat… _happy _at the news. Expectantly Tom looks up at Ollivander. "Do families usually tend to get brother wands?"

The wand maker shook his head. "I'm afraid not my boy, brother wands are extremely rare and even rarer for family members to have them as well."

Tom shoots Harry a look and while Harry merely smiled and said nothing, Tom saw his cousin mouthing 'later' as they leave the store. Tom nods, satisfied because he knows Harry will answer them. Harry was always able to answer any questions that he has be it magic related or not.

Harry brings them out to eat ice cream and orders them a large Sunday parfait to share. He left after a while saying he has an errand to run and left Tom and Harriet alone. But the children were far too busy attacking to pay much attention.

When he had returned, there was only a quarter of it left. Tom was trying to look dignified but failed because of the smudges of chocolate on his nose while Harriet gave him a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, we um- It was really good so… Um yeah." She finishes lamely.

Harry chuckled and ruffled the top of Harriet's hair while smirking at his charge. Tom scowls but the pink on his cheeks says otherwise. Harriet closes her eyes and savors the feeling while Harry went back to his seat.

"It's alright. Here I've gotten you both something. Congratulations on getting into Hogwarts but I suppose for you Harriet, I would like to say Happy Birthday as well."

He slides a long thin box in both their directions but Harriet, taken by surprise, flushed. "You don't- How did you- I um…" Tom eyes the box, then Harry and then to Harriet. "Happy Birthday." He says quietly and sees that the tips of her ears went red. Green eyes met his and for a second, he catches them glittering again before she looks away.

"Thank you." She says. Tom turns to his cousin and gave a nod in thanks. Harry gave a lazy wave of his hand that would have looked, well, _lazy _but somehow looked natural when he does it. "Open them."

They both received wand holsters made of dragonhides that are water-proof with anti-theft charms placed on them. The rest went by as a blur. Harriet bought her snow white owl -that she still hadn't named- and then the cousins drop her near her neighborhood by apparating.

"Remember to come to King Cross station on September 1st. The train leaves at 11 afternoon sharp. The Hogwarts Express is on platform 9¾." Said Harry.

Harriet nods and she struggles to carry all of her bags. Tom takes one look around the neighborhood before scowling and glaring at the pavement.

"Thank you, for everything. It's- well it's the best day of my life really!" Harriet beams. Harry smiles lightly while Tom glared harder. They both ignored the other boy albeit for different reasons.

"Owl us if you want to talk. Your owl will know where we are."

Harriet brightens at the prospect of being able to write to someone and she nods eagerly. One of her bags fell to the ground and she hurriedly picks it up.

"Goodbye Harriet." When Harry bent down and kissed her cheek, Harriet thought that she might have burnt her face off when she felt how hot it had gotten. He steps back to stand beside Tom and nudges his younger cousin.

Tom looks up before looking away again muttering a faint 'see you'

They disappear with a crack and Harriet already wishes for September 1st to come faster.

**Authors Note**

**Tom is still definitely going to try and plot for world domination but of course his reasoning is now different than canon. He's all into this family thing now and while he is still a charming manipulative git, he will take Harry's and to an extent, Harriet's, opinion into consideration. He is also still twisted and bitter both in mind and heart for his abandonment at the orphanage. **

**A year isn't going to erase all that hate and bitterness even with love hence why sometimes his thoughts would stray onto dark things. But at the same time, Harry manages to salvage his childhood so there's still a bit of childishness in him. **

**And while Tom and Harry speaks in parseltongue, Harriet actually replies them in English. Not that she can't speak it of course but because to her it sounds like normal English. This is an AU so definitely there's going to be some changes to both the plot and characters involved. Don't worry, I plan to still make them IC of course. Enjoy.**


	4. Chapter 3

Tom bristles in anger. "What do you mean she can't live with us?" He growls, eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

Harry stared back at him with a look Tom can't describe. The green eyed teenager crosses his arms over his chest and exhaled loudly through his mouth, looking away.

**"Do you know what they do to her?" **When Harry doesn't meet his eyes and one of the chairs in the dining room splinters into small bits of stray wood.

The silence stretches for some time before Tom finally got his answer. "Yes. I do."

There is a pregnant pause. What had been a small prickle of magic is now practically pulsing through the air. Their teapot cracked into numerous pieces and its content spilled all over the table. Then the sink exploded, the cupboards snapped open and all the chinaware stored inside smashed marvelously against the floor.

Tom isn't quite sure what language he's speaking in now or what he's actually saying actually. He growls something in German, curses in French, spat some barely coherent words in English and then hisses some more in Parseltongue.

Harry waits till Tom's anger simmer down. "The person responsible for Harriet's living placement is the same as the one who has been stealing from her vault."

"Harriet's situation is… Complicated- No listen to me Tom." Tom closes his mouth and squared his shoulders.

"Harriet is the Girl-Who-Lived, she carries fame just as high as she carries danger. Do you think that the Dark Lord's followers are happy for what happened to their leader? If she was within the wizarding world after the incident, any family that would have taken her would most likely be assassinated. And there will be some families that would want to boost their social standings and power by taking in the Girl-Who-Lived."

Harry kneaded his palm tiredly against his eye, almost seemingly slumped against the partly destroyed cupboards of their kitchen. Harry looked older here and for some reason that notion made his stomach churn uncomfortably. "They won't see her as Harriet, Tom." Harry said quietly.

"They'll see her only as the Girl-Who-Lived. Not as a person but as figure, prize or even a trophy. I am not saying that I won't fight to take custody of her but if I bring this up to the ministry then we will have to fight against the other houses that would want to her. Are you up for that?"

"Fine." Tom hissed. "If it's a fight they want then it's a fight they'll get."

/

The rest of the summer went by startlingly fast. Twice a week, she would exchange letters with her cousins through Hedwig and it was the only thing that Harriet ever looked forward to. Harry's letters consisted more of stories of when he was in Hogwarts which sometimes would include Tom's queries about Harriet's life, though he had enough decency to ask about it in a subtle manner.

He also had encouraged –in his own way and words of course- for Harriet to read several chapters ahead and practice using the quill. Harriet tries to do so whenever she could and manages to send the last few letters written with the quill. Though in all honesty, Harriet had always written in haste scribbles and almost after dark and her hand writing didn't look any better with all that practice

In the last letter they had traded, Harry had promised to wait for her at the station and she nearly sighed with relief. On the last day of August Harriet had told her uncle about dropping her off at the station, he had all but sneered when she mentioned the platform.

"There ain't no platform nine and three quarters girl!" He laughed, rather rudely, and Harriet felt her heart sink. "But fine, I'll humor ya! But after you realized that there isn't any platform with that number you need to find your own way back home."

The next day, with her trunk already packed into the car, the Dursleys and Harriet drove to London. The moment Harriet had pulled her luggage out of the trunk, Uncle Vernon had slammed the door shut and sped away as soon as possible. She knows she should have gotten used to the treatment but she still can't help but notice the odd pang of hurt in her chest.

"Harriet."

She turns around and the first thing she sees is a pair of green eyes before something pulls her close to a hug. A familiar tug of warmth washes over her and it felt as if she was basking in the warmth of the sun. She returns the embrace and buries her face against the soft material of his coat. "Harry," She breathes and at the same time inhales a scent that smells like summer air.

His magic tickles her own and she readily pulled her own magic out as well. She doesn't know what kind of effect it had when she tried -unconsciously- to mimic the gesture only that it made her cousin chuckle.

"It's nice to see you again Harriet." Harry steps back but keeps both hands on her shoulders.

"I missed you," She blurts all of the sudden. "And I missed Tom too." The older boy smiles indulgently at his cousin before looking off to the side. "See, I told you she would miss you." Harriet turns to look and finds herself staring back at the same mercury colored eye she'd seen at her birthday.

Tom was standing with his arms crossed over his chest beside his cart which was loaded with his own trunk and his eagle owl's cage. He was dressed in a shirt and jeans and was looking at Harriet with a slight tilt of his head.

"Hello Tom," And he acknowledges her with a nod and a simple poke of his magic against hers. Again she felt the prickling sensation on her skin but this was rather mild compared to before.

"Come along you two," Said Harry after he loads the trunks into her cart, "Better to find you a seat before the place gets too crowded yeah?"

When Harry had told the two of them about how to get to their platform, he had received two completely different reactions. Tom glared while Harriet's expression looked like a mixture of confusion and fear.

"Just run straight through it and you'll get to the other side. You'll only crash if you stop." In the end, Harriet went in first with her cart followed by Tom and finally Harry. Harriet didn't realize that her cousins had joined since she was too busy trying to take everything in.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. A light touch on her elbow snapped her out, "Come on, let's go." The two managed to find a compartment nearly at the end of the train and with Harry's help they managed to put their trunks on the top compartment.

"Have fun in Hogwarts and remember if there's anything, anything at all that you want to talk about then you can just owl me." Harriet nods while Tom hummed in agreement. Their cousin took them both into a surprised hug that Harriet was happy to return and Tom, too shocked to react. After a few seconds, the other two could feel the boy's muscle relax before he returns it albeit not with as much fervor as his cousins.

With Harry's arm draped over his shoulders and Harriet's arm over his middle, Tom easily accepted the sudden warmth of magic wrapping around him. He hears Harriet muffled humming and Tom, who suddenly got reminded of when he had cried after Harry finally came back, lets Harriet pull him a little bit closer.

Tom would most likely hex any eyewitnesses and _ensure _that they never mention any of this but thankfully he didn't have to. After he –because Harriet was still attached to Harry's torso- stepped back, Tom noticed with some slight satisfaction at the frosted windows. Harry's work of course.

Harry kisses Harriet on the cheek and gave Tom one last quick one-arm hug. "Don't tell her yet. Not until I tell you to." Harry whispers before drawing back. Tom nods.

"Bye Harry!"

"Goodbye Harry."

The teenager nods at the two before stepping down from the train.

/

When the compartment door slid open for the second time, a pair of bright green eyes zeroed in on the person. "I apologize," said the smooth soft voice, "but would the two of you mind if I join you?"

Tom, who was had been reading since Harry left and was in the middle of a small talk with Harriet, eyed him from the corner of his eyes. The boy was tall, not as tall as him, but enough to be almost a head taller than Harriet. With short dark hair and equally dark gray eyes, his features, posture and language practically spelled out that he was a pureblood.

Harriet smiled and answered in her cousin's place. "That's fine, you're welcome to join us." The boy returned the smile with a small smile of his own and it created a dimple on his left cheek.

"My name is Nicola Lestrange, but I prefer to be called by my middle name, Caelum."

After sliding his trunk on the overhead compartment, he sets himself down next to Tom and offered his hand and Tom doesn't miss a beat. "Tom. Tom Riddle." He answers with his charm fully on. He accepts the offered hand and gives it a firm shake. He waits for the explosion of pureblood bigotry to explode –because he knows that Lestrange is one of the Dark Pureblooded family names- but was rather surprised when the boy didn't even bat an eye at the oh-so-very-obvious muggle name of his.

Instead, Nicola-Caelum, merely shrugged –in a way that still made it look natural and effortless- and turned his attention to Harriet. "I'm Henrietta Potter, but you can call me Harriet instead." She said, offering an arm.

When the Lestrange boy didn't reply straight away, Harriet's smile started to falter and she glanced over to Tom only to find the boy immersed in his book again. She felt her face flushed with mortification and awkwardly pulled back her arm only for it to be snatched back. Startled at the sudden movement, she jerked her hand back but didn't quite expect the grip to be so strong. "Wait-!"

The train whistles signaling that it's time to depart. Somehow Caelum had pulled her towards him, but with the added force of the moving train and Harriet unexpectedly digging her heels on the ground and skidding in reverse, they practically ended up piling on top of each other.

Tom grunted in surprise at the sudden incoming weight. Harriet had all but slammed herself against the seat. Half of her body was pressed on top of Tom's while one outstretched hand, that was now braced against the compartment wall, had smacked her cousin in the face. Her right leg was thrown over his lap and the book that Tom had been holding fallen out of his hands.

Caelum was practically draped over their laps face down and it takes all three of them several seconds to react. The one bearing all the extra added weight was the first one, "Get. Off. Of. Me." Tom grounds and it took every bit of his self-control not to shove them off of him. The dark haired pureblood heir rolls gracelessly into a rough kneeling position before offering a hand to Harriet.

Harriet did not know how it was possible but her face had never felt incredibly hot as it has now. "Sorry," he murmurs when the girl took his hand.

"Uh, it's um- alright, I guess…" She stammers. And then a second later she turned to look at the boy she had nearly crushed. Harriet opened her mouth to apologize but the sharp heated look the mercury eyed boy was giving her stopped her in her tracks. "Don't." He snapped and almost came out as an actual hiss. The sharp look practically sliced over to Caelum and a second later, Tom picks up his book and goes back to reading completely determined to ignore the other two.

An awkward silence settles over the other two passengers and Harriet thought she was going to get light headed from all that blood rushing to her face.

/

Caelum ducks his head down and rakes a hand through his hair. "Sorry about my cousin." He snapped his head back up and saw that tensed-shy smile on Harriet's face. She had whispered it under her breath, low enough for him to hear but not for Tom.

"It's fine." He manages to say. Harriet nodded towards her seat and after casting a quick glance at the other dark haired boy, he follows.

"So, um do you have any siblings that had went to Hogwarts before?" Caelum finds the fact that Harriet was still trying to talk to him rather… funny. He didn't quite realize that this girl beside him was **_the _**Henrietta –call me Harriet- Potter till she introduced herself. The Girl-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, the one who vanquished the Dark Lord as an infant. After his defeat, several Death Eaters had been arrested and shipped off into Azkaban- including his parents.

Not that he minds though, not really. Caelum had the impression that they were Death Eaters first, Dark Pureblooded socialites second and that being a parent was somewhere down below in their nonexistent list of priorities. He was only one years old, not enough to quite remember things, when they had been arrested.

Pureblooded bigotry was something that Caelum found personally amusing. Of course as a Pureblood himself, it would be social suicide to say it out loud- especially now when his aunt had married one of the most influential pureblooded family, The Malfoys. There was no need to put anyone down when you yourself know that you're special. He finds it a waste of time really. There were better things to do then trying to prove yourself to a person of a lesser social standing.

Caelum merely hums and nods along to any Pureblood who finds ranting about Muggleborns any fun. Draco, his cousin, was a perfect example. The Malfoy heir could go on and on –much like his father really- about it and at one point, Caelum had had enough and excused himself out of the room lest he accidentally fried his cousin with his magic and aunt Cissa would have to come in and calm a crying Draco.

The rant was triggered when Dobby –the Malfoy's house elves- had popped in to tell the boys that dinner had been served. Draco was annoyed at the interruption and well, you know the rest.

Caelum knows, that though he may agree with the Pureblood's line of thoughts, that he also saw sense in having half-bloods and muggleborns. After all, if the wizards and witches of back then didn't have children with the muggles then they would have gone extinct long ago. For a Pureblood, Caelum was by far more open to half-bloods and muggleborns than any that he's ever known.

Just keep in mind that his civility towards something only goes as far as how civil someone else is to him.

"No," He finally answers. Harriet Potter smiles and the conversation continues.

Caelum finds the conversation to be much more pleasant than he had thought. For one thing, Harriet was a rather animated speaker what with the numerous hand gestures and facial expressions she was making and all. And another is that she really is a rather fun conversation partner.

Harriet seemed to never run out of things to say and would sometimes gush about the little things she knew about the wizarding world or when he explains how the wizarding custom worked. And that's fine too because that's when her eyes becomes the most expressive part of her.

They were rather pretty to look at the way it brightens when she smiles and all. They gleam, shine and sparkled- very pretty indeed. (Much prettier than the spell that he once saw zapping out of his parent's wand)

/

At round half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman had slid back their door and said, "Anything off the carts, dears?"

Harriet and Lestrange had ended up buying several snacks of their own while Tom, who had been too engrossed in his book, had missed his chance.

"Yes?" After ignoring his cousin for thirty seconds, Tom finally relented and snapped the theory book shut. "Take some!" Tom looks down at the Chocolate Frogs, at Harriet's expectant look and Lestrange's hidden amusement before flatly saying, "No."

"But you like these." Harriet insisted and then unceremoniously dumped them on his lap. Harriet pretends not to notice the glare Tom was giving her and instead focuses her attention back to the other boy.

Lestrange met his eye and after a second or two, he gives Tom the most infuriating smirk he has ever received and looks away.

Tom briefly wonders if he should hurl the heir with his chocolates and decides that no, it would just become a waste of good chocolate. No one looked, smirked or commented when Tom started to unwrap one of them and the trio shared a moment of silence as they all munched on their respective treats.

It's his fourth chocolate when Lestrange said to Harriet, "You have been missing since you were a child and only years later did you finally came back. Where have you been all these time if not in the wizarding world?"

And to his utter surprise, Harriet didn't miss a beat. "I used to live with my muggle relatives," she explains, "but after my cousin became of legal age, he took me in. Tom and I met then and we've been living in the muggle world since. We rarely go to Diagon Alley, maybe only once or twice, and there's only so much you can learn from books and word of mouth right?"

What she said wasn't a lie but neither was it the truth. It was half of both and Harriet had said it so casually as if it was the real thing. Lestrange nods, believing her explanation, and then turns to him.

"So neither of you went out that often?"

Tom swallows the chocolate that had long melted in his mouth before answering. "It's not as if we were cooped up in the house; Harry takes us out to other places both in muggle and wizarding world several times. Though we usually go to places where there aren't a lot of wizards and witches." He cast a glance at Harriet and saw that she was looking straight at him. Her eyes widened just a fraction before they brightened considerably. She smiled at him.

Fortunately Lestrange seems to accept the answer and missed the look she gave him. The conversation moved on. Harriet tosses him a licorice wand that he catches in mid-air and this time Tom accepts. He knows what she's trying to say even without her actually saying it.

Someone knocks on their compartment and a round-faced boy came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"

When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"You should find him as soon as possible though, we're nearing already." Said Lestrange.

Tom peers outside the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

"Ah," said the boy miserably, "well if you see him…"

He left.

The three of them quickly changed –Harriet being the first one done- when a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Tom sees Harriet cramming the last of her sweets into her pockets and Lestrange doing the same. As they lined up to step out of their compartment, Harriet pulls Tom by the arm and discreetly drops several more chocolates into his pockets. "I don't want these-" Tom started but quickly stopped when Harriet whispers back, "If what Harry told me is right, then we're definitely going to need this for later." Tom pauses long enough for Harriet to pull him by the sleeves and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

First it was the platform where Hagrid collected the first years. Then they went on a boat over a black lake. They were joined by the same round-faced boy they met earlier on, and after clambering up to a passageway, they finally, finally arrived at Hogwarts.

**_Authors Note_**

**_Yes, some paragraphs are taken from the actual Philosopher's Stone. Inserted an OC there, Nicola Caelum Lestrange. A dark pureblood heir but doesn't really care much about what other people think and only does what he wants because he wants to do it and not because other people told him too. A boy who does things on his own terms and goes on his own pace. Finally I updated! P.S. I need a beta, anyone want to help me out?_**


	5. Chapter 4

Severus Snape is not ready, was never ready and will never be ready for this day. He has been dreading this for the past eleven years and had been praying to whoever manages this _divine _universe for this to be over and done with. It was hard to maintain his barely there civility when his very own sanity was being driven to the very edge of off the cliff.

His eyes scans over the new batch of students and despite the small crowd surrounding the child, he easily singles out the ever familiar jade-tinted eyes.

Dread, worry, anger washes over him like a tidal wave. The Potter spawn was standing between two boys, one that Severus quickly recognizes as the Lestrange heir. The boy whispers something over to her and the other boy and both of them immediately snapped their attention up to the ceiling.

The girl smiles –a knot forms in Severus stomach, because Merlin! She smiles just like Lily- and addresses the other boy. Lestrange smiles coolly with a hint of amusement at whatever the boy had said while Potter's spawn chuckles quietly.

Severus felt like someone had gutted by a Beater. The supposed savior of the Light was being chummy with one of the dark Pureblood heir! The Potions Master presses his lips to a thin line and slightly shifted in his seat to look at the Headmaster. Albus Dumbledore's face was as blank as a mask but Severus has a rough idea of what was going through the Light Lord's mind that very instant. When Minerva started calling out the first name on the list and Severus snaps to attention.

He claps politely along with the others as they shortly made their way down the list. When Lestrange's name was called, the Potter brat smiles and gives the dark heir a nudge on the shoulders before elbowing the boy beside her. He scowls and mutters something under his breath that made the Lestrange boy chuckle.

Cleary the girl has already been forging her friendship during their train ride. But really, was it by some sort of accident that Potter was friends with a child of a Death Eater? And not just some Death Eater either. Fate must of thought of a mortal's life as some sort of joke. He mentally sneers at the thought and felt he need to let out a humorless laugh but didn't.

Lestrange is sorted into Slytherin –obviously- and Potter was amongst the few people who clapped loudly besides those of Slytherins. The dark haired boy walks towards his House and before he sits down with the rest of the snakes, Severus saw the boy giving the other two a small lazy wave.

And apparently it wasn't just him. Minerva and Albus saw it too, and when the Transfiguration Professor looked as if she was about to have an aneurism and Albus looked absolutely gob smacked, Severus knew that he's going to need at least two bottles of Firewhiskey after the day was over. He could already feel the migraine and is already dreading for the next upcoming seven years.

Severus' mood lasted only until Potter's name was called and it was then that the whole occupants of the Great Hall descended into a hush silence while Severus prepares for judgment.

/

"Potter, Henrietta!"

The four houses of Hogwarts were now giving said girl their undivided attention. The Gryffindors eyed her with hope, The Hufflepuffs watches her in rapt silence, Ravenclaw studies her with silent curiosity and Slytherins were sizing her up with cool blank faces.

"Potter?"

"Is that really her?"

"Hey, hey can you see her scar?"

Tom watches as the Sorting Hat was dropped on top of Harriet's head and it was the longest sorting by far. Harriet's foot dangles over the edge of the small stool and it surprises them all when his cousin suddenly breaks the silence with her laughter. She tips her head back and peals of laughter echoed throughout the Great Hall. He wonders what made her laugh.

The Sorting Hat slides off of her head and Tom saw that her eyes were closed and mouth stretched to a wide grin. When she opens them again, she froze as hundred pair of eyes were staring straight back at her. Her face flushes and as her eyes searches the crowd, they stop on him. Tom blinks, temporarily surprised, before he snaps back to his senses. He pats his own head and Harriet quickly mimics the action.

She flushes even harder when she realizes that the Hat was no longer on her head. Professor McGonagall calls for her attention but Harriet's wide green eyes weren't focused on her. They swept over the crowd again and this time Tom follows her line of sight. It lands on Lestrange and the boy calmly motions to the ground.

Harriet scrambles off the stool and jams the Hat back on. Her foot isn't dangling freely anymore and she was gripping the edge of her seat. But after a while, her posture relaxes and the Sorting Hat screams:

"SLYTHERIN!"

When Harriet takes off the Hat, the Hall was shocked to silence. No one clapped and Tom saw the flush on her face returning. A lone clap broke the spell and Tom zeroes in to the source. It's Lestrange, of course, and he nods at Harriet. Tom's mercury eyes sweeps to the rest of the students who were still in shock and still staring at her like a bunch of idiots. So Tom claps for her instead and ignores the rest of the gaping student body.

There are only two of them clapping and Harriet looks far more relieved than before. Then a man, dressed in black and, with limp greasy hair, sallow skin and a hooked crooked nose, -most likely a Professor- joins in and it was what finally broke everyone out of their stupor. Harriet rushes over to where the Slytherins are and joins Lestrange.

They are whispering to each other and Harriet seems to miss the fact that all eyes were still on her. But Lestrange notices and coolly eyes them all with a look that made the corner of Tom's lips quirk upwards and others quickly shifting their attention elsewhere.

Professor McGonagall clears her throat and the sorting continues. "Riddle, Tom!" When it was finally his turn, Tom had to refrain himself from showing his excitement. He sits on the stool and a second later his world went dark.

_Hello, Mister Riddle. _

_Yes, and you are the Sorting Hat. _

_That I am. My, my, you seem to have already made up your mind about your own house. _

_I know what my goals are and Slytherin is the best place for me to achieve them. But before you announce that… _Tom hesitates, _will you tell me what made Harriet laugh before?_

If a sentient hat could chuckle, this is probably it.

_As I have always disclose the information of the people I have sorted, I am afraid Mister Riddle, that I cannot tell you. However, I think Miss Potter would be willing to tell you if you ask her. _

Tom is quick to brush away the small tinge of disappointment.

_I shall not keep you waiting anymore then Mister Riddle. For a young man with plenty of courage, drive ambition clearly you belong to the house of the snakes. It is obvious that you will find your true friends in:_

"SLYTHERIN!"

And just before the Sorting Hat was pulled away, the Hat tells him, '_As an added incentive, Mister Lestrange will be a great ally to have and will be an even greater friend for both you and Miss Potter. After all, she seems to think so already.'_

His world is bright again and as he walks to his new house, he looks at his cousin and Lestrange, who are happily clapping and giving him a benign nod respectively, and acknowledges them both with a tilt of his head. Zabini is the last to be sorted and the Headmaster made some odd speech before the feast started.

"I think," said Harriet as she stared at her goblet with intent fascination, "that pumpkin juice is the best thing I have ever tasted in my whole entire life."

"Try the treacle tart." He offers, "their rather good." And clearly they were, if the fact that Tom is currently on his third treacle tart.

"You would think that the Girl-Who-Lived would have tasted something better in her life than _Pumpkin Juice_." Sneered a voice.

Surprisingly, Lestrange is the first person to react. "And you cousin dear," He drawls, shifting his body to the right, "should have known better than to eavesdrop into other people's conversation."

Tom leans forward to get a better look at the blond. The boy has similar features with Lestrange, especially the color and shape of their eyes. The only obvious difference was the color of their hair and the blond's softer features.

He sneers and Tom thinks that instead of looking intimidating, the blond looked more as if he was constipating. Tom skims through his memory, what was his name again? Ah, that's right. Malfoy.

The rest of the first years and several other second years are watching with open interests while the older students, though seemingly disinterested, were watching from the corner of their eyes. Obviously they all know who these two are.

"Merely putting my two galleons into the conversation cousin. Nothing more." Sniffed Malfoy.

Lestrange chuckles humorlessly, "As you say cousin."

He turns to Tom and Harriet, voice lowering into an exaggerated stage whisper. "My cousin Draco. Don't let his looks fool you; he's as ferocious as a kitten."

Harriet stifled a smile while Tom looked at Malfoy, unimpressed. The blond met his eye and scowled. "What are you looking at you plebian fool?"

Tom doesn't give him an answer and instead nodded over to Zabini and Nott who sat beside Malfoy. The dark skinned heir shook his head slowly before returning to eat his dinner while Nott inclines his head in return. Two first year girls, Greengrass and Davis giggles politely behind their hands while Parkinson shot him a glare. "Why you-"

"Don't let the plebian fool rile you up like that cousin." Lestrange purred, "Lest you must lower your standards to them and we wouldn't want that now would we?" The dark haired boy smiled.

"Now why don't we go back to eating our dinner hm? Oh look, isn't that the same pudding you've liked so much back at home?" He flashed another brilliant smile and Malfoy bristles in anger, his face morphing into a nasty scowl. Several halfbloods expected the blond heir to retaliate but hid their surprise when the blond redirected his attention to his plate.

It caused a round of polite laughter and quiet snickering at the further end of the table. It wasn't known to the first years –even to Tom though it is only years later that he realized what the dark heir had done- and maybe even some second years but the older students know a threat when they hear one. Lestrange had spoken in a tone that practically screamed 'Listen or **_Else_**'

Besides a threat, it was also a warning. Lestrange had just declared that the two –possible halfbloods- were his. Consequences are to be paid if anything _bad_ happens to either of them and the older students have no illusions of what an angry dark heir would do.

The question is, _why_?

/

"Hello Harry."

Said Wizard stared down at the two teens for several seconds before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know if this is a good thing or… not."

Clearly he wasn't expecting this when he returned after dropping his '_cousins' _at the station. Eltri was sitting cross-legged on one of his kitchen stool while… Death –how else is he supposed to call him, it er… Sentient!- was sitting on the kitchen island. Death gives him a nod while Eltri smiled at him.

"Do you two erm, want anything?" Harry felt like an idiot, he doesn't know whether these people/sentient/other wordly beings eat human food or not. But then he isn't exactly quite sure what to do in situations like these either. To his surprise –an inner relief- they agreed on tea.

While doing the task of boiling water, Death spoke. "Sorry we dropped in unannounced. We finished rather early and thought of dropping by."

He hasn't seen either of them since a year ago before he was dropped into this world's alternate Diagon Alley. But thankfully he wasn't dropped in without some sort of clue or other form of help to guide him. There had been a letter in his pocket and it had worked similar to Tom Riddle's diary back in his second year.

They had discussed on what to do and in the end Harry went with the idea of adopting Tom. Whoever was writing back to him gave him a rather thorough back ground information about this alternate reality.

They even gave him a detailed and credible past that Harry could use if anyone asked. Harry still writes to the letter till this day; they talk about the weather, Tom, Harriet, cooking recipes- anything really. Harry doesn't know who this was but he was glad to have someone who knows about his circumstances.

"That's fine." Harry answers. He takes three tea cups and a pot instead of using magic, a habit he hasn't really shaken off, and boils the water. "The letter helped."

Eltri laughs. "So that's why she was asking about the pudding!"

"Pudding?" Death echoed. "Bread and butter pudding." Eltri clarifies.

"One of the recipes that you two talked about was bread and butter pudding right? You were talking to our sister."

"Oh." Because that's only thing that he can say right about now. "Er, well tell her I said thanks for helping me out and uh- she's a rather nice conversation partner."

"Sure." They chorused.

A few minutes later they were all sitting around the kitchen table with a steaming teacup in front of them.

"I've been meaning to ask this but," both motioned for him to continue and Harry takes a deep breath. "While I'm here, what's happening in my world then?"

"It's put into stasis." Said Death as he pours milk into his tea. "The whole world is sleeping, nothing is moving, living or dying. Think of a movie and when it's put on pause; it's something like that."

"Unfortunately though," Eltri continued, "the link is still working. Despite being in stasis, your world is still taking energy from here. The only difference is that the amount has lessened incredibly. At this rate the only thing we've change is when this world would die."

"So all I've got to do is find the links, prevent Harriet from dying as well as this world's Tom Riddle from becoming Voldemort. Sounds easy enough." He snorts. But then guilt gnawed him from the inside and instead he apologizes. "Sorry I haven't made any progress." He mumbles.

Harry runs his hand through his hair and gave it a tug out of frustration. "I was busy too, what with Tom and all…"

Death shook his head. "No, you did the right thing in the first year. That's actually part of the reason why we're here you know."

"You should find someone from this universe to help you with either of those. The first is someone who has access everywhere since the leak can be anywhere and anything. The second is someone who is constantly with both Harriet and Tom or at least someone stationed frequently near them. It'll be impossible for you to do all three by yourself." Eltri reasoned.

Harry blinks in surprse. Apparently they weren't quite expecting him to do this all on his own and what Eltri was saying does make sense.

"Do you have anybody in mind?"

Eltri nods while Death was the one who gave him a vocal answer. "Yes, we do."

**_Authors Note_**

**_I've read stories where Harry is sorted into Slytherin and about a mentoring Snape and I fell in love with them. So yeah, I definitely wanted to write a story of my own and this was produced. Here is the savior of the Wizarding World, the supposed Light Hero and guess where she landed herself in? Into the Snake Pit -the place where all Dark wizards and witches come from as many believe._**

**_From that plot alone there's so much you can experiment on. Like how the older Slytherins, who accepted the Dark Lord's ideas and or have become Death Eaters themselves, loathes Harriet. _**

**_Or, how the will neutral Purebloods and halfblood Slytherins view Harriet?_**

**_Or, how will the other houses treat Harriet now that she's proven to be a 'Slytherin'? Or treat the rest of the House of the Snakes? _**

**_How can Dumbledore 'salvage' the situation? Can he make out the best of this 'problem'?_**

**_How will this affect Snape? Will this make it easier or harder for him to protect Harriet from the Dark Lord? (Because I'm still going with the canon plot that Snape was a double agent and that what he's been doing all this time is to keep the young hero safe) Plus, now he can't deduct points from her since she's in his house, oh the agony for him!_**

**_And then there's Harriet's side of the problem. This Harriet isn't the usual dark, independent Harry (or Fem!Harry) But she is just as every bit as cunning, sly and ambitious as what the snake house is known for. You'll see soon enough how she uses her wits to her advantage. _**

**_Sexism will be playing a big part but only in the later part of the story (like maybe third or fourth year) when hormones finally take over. (Hint, hint. Wink, wink)Or when the ministry/Dark Lord are introduced._**

**_Now here's another problem. All the Death Eaters know who the Lestranges are, especially his mother. Those who had fought in the war knew Bellatrix. Harriet Potter is friends with Caelum Lestrange. Emphasis on their last name and their respective parent's history. The backlash that both sides will be receiving is definitely going to put a strain in their relationship (especially when Bellatrix learns of this and Dumbledore's manipulative tendencies)- Damn there's going to be so much drama.M'so excited! _**

**_And thank you for those who've reviewed, favorite and followed the story. I appreciate that :D_**


	6. Chapter 5

Harriet ended up sharing a room with Millicent Bulstrode and Sally-Anne Perks and both of them didn't bother to ask anything remotely close to how she defeated the Dark Lord as an infant, where she had been all this time or anything about the scar under her fringe.

She had owled Harry after the first day and received the reply the very next day. Harry had congratulated them both, Tom and she, in his letters and he mentions that he is proud of them –and Harriet felt butterflies in her stomach because this is the first time someone had told her that they were proud of her.

He had even given them chocolate frogs as presents and she shares them between her year mates, and though there had been some that rejected them Harriet still thinks that it was still progress in breaking the ice between them.

Classes on the other hand were more than just spells and waving their wands. Harriet quiet enjoyed Astronomy where they studied the star every Wednesday at midnight. Herbology required them to go to the greenhouses behind the castle three times a week with Professor Sprout, the Head of Hufflepuff.

Charms were with Professor Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw, a tiny little wizard who stands on a pile of books to see over his desk and Transfiguration is taught by Professor McGonagall. The former was similar to Professor Snape who taught Potions in where they practically had their class under control and didn't even have to raise their voice to get the student's attention.

The two most boring class has to be History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts. The latter was the only subject to be taught by a ghost, Professor Binns and with the way he drones on and on, Harriet can't really blame her classmates for falling asleep.

DADA was taught by Professor Quirrell, a turban wearing wizard that smelled quite strongly of garlic. When Harriet and her classmates entered their class, several of the Purebloods nearly gagged at the strong smell of garlic. Even Harriet's eyes watered and Tom started to sneeze several times.

Their Professor stuttered and jumped at his own shadow and Harriet isn't too sure whether to be angry for having a not so competent teacher or pity since she knows that most of the Slytherins are making fun of him behind his back.

On the other hand, Harriet was pleased that besides Tom and Caelum she has other students –girl students- to talk with. Both Millicent and Sally-Anne were a rather nice, if not reserved, pair to talk with and Harriet rather like petting Millicent's pet cat when their back in their dorm room.

Millicent only talks when spoken to or when she disagrees with either Harriet or Sally-Anne's opinion over a topic while Sally-Anne proved to be a soft spoken girl with a sharp wit and eyes.

They occasionally would do their essays and homework together and it is during their study group that Sally-Anne whispers, "The older students have been watching you for quite some time now and some of the students seem to be avoiding you too- the other first years that is."

It has been nearly a month to their new school and that fact did not escape Harriet. It didn't happen directly over night but she noticed the slow gradual change and besides Sally-Anne and herself, apparently Caelum noticed this as well.

Harriet's bright green eyes flicked to the side and beside Sally-Anne, Millicent continues to write on her Transfiguration essay and gives no indication that she notices the conversation. She stretches her hands over her head and exhales loudly through her nose.

"I know." Harriet says just as quietly. Because when she stretches, she manages to catch several other students watching her from the corner of their eyes. A small part of her mind is saying, 'How very tactless of them.' But she quickly shoves the thought into the back of her mind.

Sally-Anne seems to wait for a further explanation but when Harriet didn't seem to be giving one soon, she goes back to writing her essay. Half an hour before dinner, Harriet stopped and gathered her materials before bidding her roommates farewell.

"See you at dinner." She whispers and received two similar replies as well. Today is Friday and that would mean that Tom and Caelum would be waiting for her in another part of the library. This thing kind of started on the second Friday of the new school year. How it happened went something like this: Harriet had asked about one of the books he was reading while they were waiting for Caelum.

Big mistake.

Tom was more than enthusiastic enough –in his own way of course- to explain to Harriet in great detail about the effects of using certain languages on specific spells and their various results and shares his theory about whether or not writing the spells with runes produce the same effect. Harriet had tried to keep up, really she did but Tom kept going on and on that she lost him a quarter way in. Or at least she _thought _it was only a quarter way in.

Thankfully Caelum finally came and Harriet had never been more than happy to go to dinner that day. Whenever Tom asked of her opinion about it over their meal and Harriet manages to successful evade the topic by pulling several other people around them into a conversation.

"Do you think that anyone has tried to cast the spells differently-"

Daphne Greengrass catches Harriet's eyes. "Potter can you please pass me the salad?"

"I'm pretty sure they have Tom, by the way we're about to have our flying lessons soon right? Here you Greengrass."

The blonde smiles. "Thank you." Tom frowns and chewed on his food thoughtfully. "Then why can't I find any of the results of that experiment in the same section then?"

"No, it's still a long way to go unfortunately. I still don't accept the fact that first years can't join the Quidditch Team, hmph!"

A snicker. "Don't worry cousin, I still think that you're the best flyer there is. Why, the whole world maybe!"

Harriet shrugged and swallowed her beef. "Try asking Madam Pince if the experiment is placed under a different section."

Pansy Parkinson scowled. "Oh bugger off Lestrange!"

"Isn't it about being fair? I mean there are kids who never had touched a flying broom before their first flying lessons so-"

A snort. "Ah, Saint Potter does have a point. We must compromise for the sakes of those who haven't had experienced the joy that flying gives you."

Caelum snorts into his pumpkin juice and nudges Harriet's shoulder with his own. "Drama queen." Whispers the dark heir. Harriet is ashamed to say that she nearly choked on her own food, trying hard not to laugh but when it looked as if Tom was about to fire off another question she quickly pulled out her trump card.

"Hm, you do make it sound interesting." For added effects, she widens her eyes by just a bit, smiled a tad bit shyer and tilted her head in angle that makes her eyes look like they were sparkling. "Malfoy, since you seemed so dedicated to the sport out of all of us, care to tell me how great Quidditch is?"

Caelum –who was sitting between Malfoy and her- frowns a bit which caused a crease to form between the pinch of his eyebrows whereas the blond blinked back in surprise.

It takes him several seconds to reply. "Uh sure, right! I mean," Malfoy clears his throat and looks everywhere but at Harriet. "Quidditch is-" Now Harriet knows in full detail about Quidditch and while her year mates might not appreciate her _instigating _Malfoy to rant with passion about his beloved sport, Tom had been more than upset at being ignored.

It took the girl two days to realize that Tom was avoiding her and it took her another three days to gather up her courage, track him down –sitting in their common room- and bribe him with the treacle tarts she had smuggled out of dinner –so that he would actually stay there and listen instead of walking away- to say,

"How about we turn this into a research project on this and try them out ourselves. I mean, it's not as if they've experimented on all the spells right? Then we can have a teacher go over them- Like maybe Professor McGonagall, since she teaches runes and she might be more knowledgeable about this and we could even do it as an extra credit sort of thing yeah?"

So maybe she was rambling but she was desperate for Tom to not be angry and to talk to her –he doesn't even say 'hello' or anything!- that Merlin she might even talk about Quidditch to annoy the boy.

When Tom was still only eating his chocolate frogs and not at all looking at her, Harriet sighed. "Alright. I'm sorry for ignoring you Tom. That was rude of me I apologize. Please stop being mad…"

Harriet briefly wonders if she should use **_The Look _**on Tom to make him accept her apology when the boy suddenly stood up and walked away after finishing all the treacle tarts.

Harriet felt crushed and a wave of nausea caused her stomach to churn painfully and her heart to beat a mile a minute. Oh what had she done? What was she going to tell Harry? How will she face Harry? What would Caelum say? What's going to happen-

"Well?"

When her eyes became focused again, she saw Tom standing in front of her holding several pieces of rolled up parchment and writing utensils.

"Huh?" came out the intelligent reply.

Tom rolled his eyes and said, "We're going to do the research project aren't we? The one we're making it as an extra credit?"

"Wha-?"

Tom poked Harriet on her shoulder with each word. "So. Don't. Ignore. Me. Ever. Again." Relief washes over Harriet and she doesn't really care that Tom ends up dragging her to the library right there and then.

In the end though, Caelum ends up being included in this little project –Harriet doesn't really remember how but she thinks that the boy had invited himself in and Tom didn't seem to mind or care about it- and the three of them had been researching about it every Tuesdays and Fridays before and after dinner.

Harriet thinks it's bringing them closer really. Tom talks more when he's around her or Caelum and Caelum doesn't seem to mind whenever Tom gets excited over a topic. In fact, Caelum was more than capable to keeping up with the dark haired boy than Harriet could sometimes; though most of their conversations consisted of insults, sarcasm and plenty of silent glaring and rolling of eyes.

Harriet spots the two of them nearby and when she drops her items to the seat across them, two pairs of different colored eyes snapped up.

"You two look similar like that. Makes you look like siblings."

Tom scoffs and turned back to his paper while Caelum tilts his head to the side. "Actually, since Britain's magical population is rather low even since before, the Purebloods and Half-bloods are usually distantly related to each other."

Harriet was surprised. "What about the muggleborns then?"

Caelum looked amused. "That's a possible thought." Answered Tom as he scribbles on to his scroll. "There is a slim chance that they are related to the Purebloods or even halfbloods. Like being a descendant of a squib for example. There I'm done."

"Riddle's right and like what he said before, the chances of being a squib descendent, especially a Pureblood one, is very slim. By the way can I see your Transfiguration essay? I want to compare what you wrote with mines."

While Caelum skims through both of their essays, Harriet turns to Tom. "Our flying lessons are coming up soon, who are we having them with again?"

Most of their lessons were shared with the Hufflepuffs and one lesson with the Ravenclaws. Apparently Slytherins haven't shared anything yet with the Gryffindors and from what her classmates are saying, they hoped that it would stay that way for the rest of the year.

"Why?" She asked when they were lounging in the common room.

Theodore Nott answered her. "House rivalries. It's just that ours is more intense than any of the others. They hate our guts and we hate theirs."

Tom shrugs. "Don't know, don't really care."

"I think," says Caelum, "it's the Gryffindors. I overheard several their first years talking about it this morning. They sound a bit like Draco when he gets to his monologue about Quidditch. Especially that red headed boy, Weasley if I'm not mistaken, the way he was going on and on about it. Here, thanks."

Harriet nods and takes back her scroll. "Did we cover about the same thing?"

"Yeah," said Caelum. He clears his side of his desk and carefully places them inside his bag. "most of our introduction are the same but you wrote more about the after-affects and permanent transfiguration while I wrote more on the difficulties of changing the shape, size and texture of a completely different object."

Harriet winced. "That's…. a rather big difference."

The dark haired boy shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Professor McGonagall said that the essay is about what you know about Transfiguration. It doesn't have to be the same." He says encouragingly.

"Riddle here probably wrote more than enough."

Said boy merely gave a muted shrug while Harriet chuckled lightly. A group of second-year Ravenclaws were passing by their table and neither Harriet nor Caelum missed them glancing at their table, at Harriet and Caelum before whispering amongst each other.

The dark haired girl flushes and looks away while Caelum pretends that he didn't see anything and both continued to wait for Tom to finish.

/

The day of their first ever flying lesson came and Malfoy was the most excited out of their whole bunch. Upon reaching the field, Harriet could both see and feel the tension between the two houses. Harriet recognizes one of the Gryffs –from the train if she's not mistaken- and smiled slightly at the boy when he caught her eye.

The boy blinks in surprise, stammers and then shrinks into himself. His eyes were trained on the ground and Harriet winced and looked away as well. Unfortunately, Malfoy saw the –awkward and rather awful- exchange and he wasn't exactly pleased.

"There's no need to associate with Longbottom Potter," He hisses to her shoulder as the rest of the first years waited for Madame Hooch.

"I was just being polite Malfoy, it's not a crime." Harriet answered in a quiet voice before shrugging her shoulders. The blond winces and Harriet's pretty sure that's it's because Pureblood's thought it was beneath them to shrug.

Zabini, who was standing on Harriet's other side and had heard the brief exchange and Malfoy's reaction, snickered lazily. The blond glared at the half Italian and seemed ready to snap at him but Caelum's voice came from Malfoy's other side and distracted him.

Harriet sighed quietly and shot Zabini a half-baked glare that he returns with an airy smile. "What? It's not a crime to laugh you know?" He echoed back and directed his attention to something else. For a second Harriet was stunned, and then she smiles and grinned back at the dark-skinned boy despite him not looking at her.

Madam Hooch came right after that and blew her whistle. "Today we're going to cover the basics." Cue groans from several Gryffindors –the tall redhead gangly boy standing next to Longbottom groaned the loudest- and unhappy grumbling from the Slytherin's side –who else but Malfoy grumbled the loudest? - But a sharp look from Madam Hooch quickly shut them up.

To be honest, Harriet finds her whole year mates screaming/yelling "UP!" rather silly and couldn't help but laugh when she saw Tom muttering unhappily and frowning at his Comet that laid traitorously on the ground. Not much luck then, she thought.

Both Caelum and Malfoy already had their brooms in their hands and were watching the rest of those who can't. Caelum offers to help Tom but that only change the target of his glare instead. "And it seems, Potter, that you're the only one who hasn't tried to get their broom." Harriet looks at Zabini's hands and then his face, expectant and a dash of wonder there, and then to her broom.

She hums a little, a habit that happens when she's trying to concentrate, and called over for her broom. It twitched, rolled to the side before it shooting up to her outstretched palm.

Madam Hooch moved on to telling them how to mount their broom properly, by putting one leg over the broom and such, but before she even blew her whistle, Longbottom rose up, up and up. Staying there completely still as he was frozen in fear and face as white as chalk.

"Get down here boy!" She calls out and get down did Longbottom did. His broom jerks and bucks once and twice in the air before diving downwards at an incredible speed and then he meets the ground with a meaty crack that made even Malfoy wince.

Longbottom had not just fractured his wrist but his entire left arm. That and the fact that the round faced boy had passed out from the pain. Madam Hooch clicked her tongue in distaste and levitated the boy with a spell that Harriet just learned to do in her own Charms class. Her yellow eyes scanned over the rest of the students and smiled in a way that made Harriet thought of predators with razor sharp teeth.

"Fly without my supervision and you will never be in this class nor find yourself in the House Team. Understand?" eAnd then she left with the unconscious boy for the hospital wing.

Just as the two were out of earshot, Draco burst into laughter. "Can you believe that? He just fell lack a ton of bricks!" Beside him, Caelum chuckles while Tom looks unimpressed at the whole thing.

Harriet presses her lips to a thin line and tries to shrug off the gnawing feeling in her stomach. If there's one thing she disliked the most in the world, it would be bullies.

Suddenly one of the Gryffindors marched over and stood straight in front of Malfoy. He was a tall gangly redheaded boy with freckles on his face. It took a while but Harriet was able to place a name to the face, Ronald Weasley. She remembers seeing a flock of redheads at the Gryffindor table back at the sorting day and, '_He's the boy that Caelum was talking about the other day!_'

"Shut your trap Malfoy!" He hissed, eyes narrowed and knuckles clenched tightly on his side but the blond wasn't paying attention. "Oh, hey look! It's that stupid thing Longbottom's Gran sent him!" Malfoy darts over and picked the thing up before holding it up high. A glass ball about the size of a marble full of white smoke glittered in the sun.

"Hey! That's a Remembrall!" A bushy haired Gryffindor girl cried.

"Give it Malfoy!" Seethed the redhead, "That thing belongs to Neville and not you!" But Malfoy only laughed and it wasn't a kind one. "Yes, and you're rescuing a fellow lion's trinket from the evil snakes aren't you?" Caelum cooed. It was the same sweet cold tone that the Lestrange heir uses when he's amused and Weasley stiffened at the sudden interest on him.

"How very Gryffindor of you Weasley, 10 points to Gryffindor." As Caelum gave a slow clap, the other snakes chuckled and smirked at the way the boy was making fun of both the redhead and their headmaster. The only ones who didn't join were Tom, who still looked unimpressed and maybe even bored, and Harriet who was frowning at them all.

Weasley flushes, looking almost just as red as his hair, and took a step back and look torn between punching the cousins and walking back to his side of the line. But true to what his house is known for, Weasley stayed and tried to glare at the boy.

"If you want it back Weasley, then maybe you should catch it!" Malfoy kicked off the ground with his broom and shot up to the sky. He held the Remembrall mockingly to Weasley and then shaking it to the Gryfindors.

"Malfoy-" Harriet started but was drowned out when the other Gryffindors started yelling after the blond.

"Get back here you bloody git!" Yelled the redhead but that only made Malfoy smirk. He waves it tauntingly over their heads one more time, drew his hand over his head and-

Harriet kicked off the ground just as Malfoy threw the magical item to the other side of the field. The first thing Harriet felt was the thrill of flying sending warm and wild tingles throughout her whole body. And then the wind that was rushing against her hair and the blood roaring in her ears. The magic in the broom hummed against her palms and the only thing Harriet wanted to do right there and then was to continue to fly across the air.

_But the Remembrall…_ Says a small voice in her head.

And then Harriet snaps out her little daze and bright green eyes manage to catch a slight glimmer falling rapidly ahead of her.

The dark haired girl leans downwards against the handle of the broom and pushes down as well. The broom plummets to the ground and all Harriet could see was the Remembrall getting closer and closer to her outstretched hand but not the ground and trees that were getting closer as well.

'_Come on, come on, come on- Yes!_' She finally grabs on to the item and smoothly pulls herself up in time to see that she was just an arm's length away from one of the trees and that she was hovering low enough for the edges of her robe to skim the ground.

Instincts kicking in, Harriet swerves her broom around and kicks off against the bark. The added force manages to propel her forward but at the same time it threw her off balance. Just as she nears her classmates, who she just realized were screaming and shouting her name, she swings one foot off of the broom.

The force of the still moving broom sends her half-way spinning but Harriet digs her heel firmly on the ground and finally manages to land to a stop. With one hand on the broom and the other on the Remembrall, Harriet felt the ground spinning beneath her. She blinks several times and winces before wobbling unstably and-

A strong grip on her left arm prevents her from falling magnificently to her backside. She slumps tiredly against whoever it was and could only hope that Merlin! Please don't let her throw up in front of everyone.

"Miss Potter," And her train of thoughts quickly changed from 'Please don't let me throw up in front of everyone!' to 'Please don't let me throw up on Professor Snape!'

"and Mister Malfoy" says the silky voice of their teacher. "Follow me. Now." Professor Snape snatches the magical item and broom out of her hands and passes it over to- Oh, Professor McGonagall was here too. Harriet stumbles over her own two feet as the Potion's Master pushed her along to the direction of the school.

Harriet struggled between trying to calm her erratically beating heart and preventing herself from getting sick all over herself. When the attempt nearly made her ram straight to a wall –"Idiotic child! Watch where you're going!'- Professor Snape ends up dragging the both of them by the collar.

Oh god. Harriet was going to be expelled, what was she going to say to Tom? To Harry? Is she going back to the Dursleys? The last thought made her slump even more and she didn't even register the scowl her Professor shot her.

What can she do know? Should she run? Beg? Maybe she can make a compromise? The school would definitely let her stay if she offered to work here right?

Harriet felt like she couldn't breathe.

Snape pushes the both of them and hiss, "My office. Now."

The both of them practically scrambled after the dungeons and nearly toppling on top of each other when Malfoy pushes the door open. "Ger'off me Potter!" And after a brief scramble of pushing each other off, Snape suddenly descended on them and bellowed, "Of the entire idiotic, senseless thing to do! You could have broken your neck! Smashed yourself to bits or worse! You are a Slytherin Miss Potter! Chasing after a glass ball and risking your life for it is not what Slytherins do! There is no need for any Gryffindor bravado in the house of _snakes_."

Harriet flinched when that heavy gaze landed on her. She couldn't even bring herself to argue as shame and guilt practically closed off her throat. She hung her head down and clenched her skirt in her fist. "M'sorry sir," said Harriet as she shrank into herself while Malfoy merely shrugged. "It was just a little flying sir-"

But that only seemed to make Snape even angrier and his glare seem to intensify. If looks could kill, the both of them would probably be reduced to ashes right about now. "Rules aren't made to be broken Mister Malfoy. That's common sense less your asinine little brain can't seem to grasp the idea of it hm?" His voice had dropped back to its usual silky tone that meant a whole lot of trouble to anyone who it was being directed to.

The pale blond colored and shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Did I not make myself clear or did the prefects not explain it to you clearly enough that we do not and will not bring disgrace to Slytherin? By disobeying Madam Hooch's instructions you are disrespecting _her, me and our house_." This time Harriet colored as well.

There was a beat of silence as the both of them digested what their head had just said and the more Harriet thought about it the more ashamed she felt of herself. Snape continues on with a much cooler tone and said, "The both of you would be spending detention with me starting next week. That would be all."

Just as Harriet was about to release the breath she was holding, their teacher said, "But not you Miss Potter." And that was the last thing Malfoy heard before he exited the office.

/

Tom didn't really care about the old and intense household rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor, -though he pities Longbottom for that nasty fall- Malfoy's antagonism and the typical Gryffindor behavior of that redhead –Weasel something- if Harriet did not just do fifty foot dive.

Tom felt his heart dropped to his stomach, where it was churning painfully, when it looked as If Harriet was going to smash to the ground and then his heart lodged itself into his throat when she was flying so close and so fast to a nearby tree. Tom felt himself panicking; his heart was beating erratically against his chest and he suddenly finds it hard to breathe. It's the first time he ever felt such a thing.

His mind begins to imagine traitorous images of Harriet's splattered remains across the school field or the Forbidden Forest and if it weren't for McGonagall and Snape blocking him, he would have bodily tackled Harriet and drag her back home to Harry and preferably lock away as many brooms that he could get his hands on.

The rest of the remaining class was dismissed by Hooch and McGonagall sends them back to their common room. The dark haired boy practically ran to his room, grabbed a scroll and begin scribbling madly on it. Writing a letter to his cousin manages to distract him for the better half of the time and when he finishes, Tom has two back to back scrolls full of his tiny and cramped handwriting.

The dark haired boy reads and rereads his letter till his eyes were watered and has reached the limit of his patience. Tom decides that he will send the letter now and it is then that he sees the blond entering their common room.

Tom had all but pounced on him. "What happened!?" He hisses. Malfoy jumped and a rapid change of expression ensues. First was surprise because clearly the boy had not expected to be grilled on, then flustered because he _had been taken by surprise _and then finally he puts on a sneer –but failing, in Tom's opinion.

"None of your business Riddle." He spat, and then pushes past him to get to his room. Tom has to remind himself that there and then that there would be more cons than pros if he hexed the Malfoy heir. So instead he resorts to glaring at the retreating back till the blond fully disappears up the stairs before leaving the common room and to the owlry.

He spots Roenan, his eagle owl, and offered the animal a few treats before holding up his letter. Roenan takes it with his beak and butts his head on to the palm of Tom's hand and Tom says, "Take it to Harry,"

After seeing his owl fly off into the distance, Tom isn't quite sure what to do now. The sound of another hoot catches his attention and when gray eyes landed on a familiar snow white owl, Tom instantly remembers who it belongs to. Bright yellow eyes blinked once, then twice before it hooted again.

It takes him several seconds to respond but the owl didn't seem to mind. "You're, you're Harriet's right?" Tom takes the bird flapping its wings as a 'yes' and stares at it some more. There's a bubbling sensation inside of his chest and he knows that he needs to get it out lest he explodes. Waiting for Harry's reply and waiting for Harriet to come back from who knows where might be too long…

The snow white owl hoots again and Tom finally makes up his mind. Taking a brave step forward, he digs for some more treats in his pocket before offering it to Harriet's owl. The bird tilts his head, jumps closer and begins pecking at his treat filled palm.

Taking in a deep breath, Tom then says "Your owner should really change her epitaph as The-Girl-Who-Lived-To-Give-Everyone-A-Heart-Attack..." His ends his rant roughly about thirty minutes later and left the owlry with a lighter heart.


End file.
